Being someone who has grown up in the technological era, I can say that even though I feel nostalgic towards the times of my childhood when technology and security was not as big of a deal in our lives as it is now, there are many more reasons why surveillance is necessary to have in today’s world.  

There has always been crime and violence in the world, but overall, the world is much more unsafe than it has ever been before, thanks to technological and weaponry advancements. Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, security was increased and reformed in public places all over the country with the intention of combating and preventing more attacks from occurring. While nothing as terrible and on such a large scale as 9/11 has happened in the United States since then, smaller attacks like mass shootings, bombings and even cyber attacks are steadily becoming more common. 

According to The Gun Violence Archive, more than 34,000 Americans were killed from gun violence attacks in 2019 alone. This is a scary number, as it gives an idea as to just how unsafe people are in this world. Having numerous government surveillance systems, as well as home security devices, is a viable way to help eliminate fear among the people. If there is no way to track and hunt down these criminals, crime rates can not go down. 

Though many argue that respecting personal privacy is the right thing to do, doing such a thing would only harm people more than living every day knowing that they might be under surveillance. The United States government uses various surveillance programs, such as one they call Planning Tool for Resource Integration, Synchronization, and Management (PRISM), to monitor the private communications of Americans.

One of the biggest points people argue regarding this security versus privacy fight is that they do not like the idea of being “watched” by the government. While it is true that they are watching us, the government does not stalk us at all times, and the majority of our life is only being viewed by ourselves. 

As technology continues to develop, it is transforming crime and the way that crime is being fought. With the assistance of various security systems, home or national, crimes of all types are easier to solve. According to IPMV, nearly 24 million households in the United States have between one and four security cameras set up either inside their homes or on their property. This suggests that many average citizens are willing to sacrifice some of their privacy for safety. 

Various surveillance systems such as Ring, Nest and Amazon’s Alexa are among some of the most common home security systems in the nation. Ring offers a feature that allows customers to view the activities going on inside or around their homes live through their phones. Ring, as well as many other home security products, also feature a two-way talk option, notifications when the cameras detect motion and wireless solar panels that keep the batteries of the surveillance equipment topped off. 

These are just some of many innovative security options available for the average American citizen seeking protection. Home surveillance is a great way for people to obtain the security they desire, while also not completely giving away their own personal privacy. 

The bottom line is, whether one supports security or not holds no significance, as having surveillance systems in place will always be a necessary precaution that will continue to prevail over our own privacy in the modern world.